Highguard review: free-to-play raid shooter has fun raids but feels bland

Kotaku’s review of Highguard — released January 26, 2026 by Wildlight Entertainment — calls the game a free-to-play fantasy‑sci‑fi MOBA‑like 3v3 PvP hero shooter with base defense and raid mechanics. The game was first unveiled at the finale of the 2025 Game Awards and drew a poor online reaction; the review focuses on the playable release rather than the surrounding discourse.

The reviewer says Highguard suffers from a bland, over‑mixed aesthetic that leaves little personality in characters or environments. After more than 14 hours across platforms, they struggled to remember most characters beyond one named Slade, and found the visuals and assets sanded down so nothing really sticks out.

Matches begin with players at their base choosing a hero and setting defenses, then riding out to gather loot by opening chests and breaking gems. Eventually a large sword appears that teams must capture and bring to the enemy base to blast open a shield dome and attempt a raid; winning a raid ends the match, while failure repeats the loop with better world loot.

The review praises high‑quality elements: smooth, snappy gunplay compared favorably to Titanfall 2, satisfying gem‑breaking, fun base setup, exciting raid moments, mounts, and distinct character abilities.

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